On opening the lid of the allotment’s compost barrel this afternoon a whole nest of earthworms was revealed, some four feet up. These two decided they would take the opportunity to return to ground level. The one on the right had a clear head start but the other was catching up. If I was a gambling man…. but instead, I like their translucency. And at least the sun was shining for a little while today, the first sight of it for a few days.
There is a reason why robins have been depicted on here so often, and certainly more than any other species of small bird (ducks and pigeons will rival them in the overall rankings). This is their complete lack of fear of humanity. Basically, they have established that they can make us work on their behalf. Dig or (as I did today) strim the garden and one is almost certain to appear to check the work is done and then pick out the insects left behind. There’s a bit of zoom used on this shot, but not much.
I was going to post something about how the truly large cave spiders that once lived in our shed (see here, for instance) haven’t made an appearance for a while. Then this morning — the day after this picture was taken — a “spider the size of a Buick” (to quote Woody Allen) turned up in the bathtub. This one’s big enough however. And I needed those bottles to decant the plum wine….
I am irresistibly reminded of a drag queen at Pride, or one of those amazing Brazilian samba women at the Notting Hill Carnival, posing for the camera in front of a line of stern grey coppers…. Happy Wednesday, little feller.
We have reached an officially measured total of 21.2kg/46.6 pounds of harvested plums. This is the all-time record haul since it started bearing fruit about fourteen years ago (we forget exactly). I think the insects can have their fill now, I’m feeling plummed out.
A healthily-stocked larder, at least, if you are a spider. It’s like our plums — you keep them for later. Bridge no. 17 is the one at Black Pit Lock on the Rochdale Canal, in Hebden Bridge town centre.
A bit more sunlight today — hardly high summer though. Heatwaves are just something other people are having. The buddleia seem happy, however, and there were plenty of butterflies around in the garden this afternoon.
Back in 2012, in the Lake District, I pictured a vague blob in the far distance that may or may not have been a golden eagle. But this one is definite. You may, of course, live in a part of the world where these noble creatures hang out on street corners, but that’s not the case in Great Britain — except, it seems, in the far north of Scotland, where this huge bird took off from some trees nearby as I passed and flapped lazily overhead for a while. Until uploading the pic later and checking the details I wasn’t sure of the species, but the wingtip feathers are the giveaway: an eagle it is.
Rogie Falls, near Strathpeffer, are touted as a place where one can see salmon travelling upstream to spawn and doing their leaps: but I must admit on first sight, I was sceptical. These were not minor rapids but a powerful cascade, thundering over several drops, of which the highest one, pictured here, must have been at least twenty or thirty feet high. Surely no living creature could possibly get up this, against the flow — particularly not one without arms, legs or heavy machinery.
Well, I was wrong. And I have to say that I now have a new-found respect for this species. There have to be easier ways to live out one’s lifecycle, though.
More plants, but there are a lot of them around at this time of year, particularly after the healthy mixture of sun and rain which has characterised the last three weeks or so. You were getting something from house or garden today in any case, as I never left the vicinity. But work is nearly done.
Being 42 